ACCESS to a proposed 35,000sqm showroom/bulky goods floorspace development in Lakelands is the only issue standing between the proposal and a green light from council.
With the site proposed at the Mandurah Road/Lord Hobart Drive/Broadstone Vista intersection, concerns have been raised that the development could attract in excess of 18,000 vehicles per day during peak periods.
Councillors were advised that the authors of the Outline Development Plan (ODP) report submitted to Tuesday night’s council meeting did not support a signalised intersection at the proposed Lakelands location to deal with the influx of vehicles.
The authors identified the fact that traffic lights at the intersection would be the eighth set along Mandurah Road in the space of 5.5 kilometres between Meadow Springs Drive and Singleton Beach Road, should all other proposals for Mandurah Road go ahead.
As it currently stands, signals control four intersections in that short distance with a further four to go ahead at a later stage.
Letters were issued to residents within a 400-metre radius of the site given the project is set to model the Gordon Road showroom precinct.
The 9.5-hectare site would be less than half the size of the Gordon Road site but would employ approximately 350 people.
Local residents were invited to have their say earlier this year with traffic concerns again the biggest issue raised.
Councillors Caroline Knight and Fred Riebling agreed that traffic was the biggest hurdle facing the development.
“This is the hot development area in Mandurah,” Cr Riebling said.
“[Mandurah Road] is a very important road from north to south.
“It needs to be able to flow freely which is Main Road’s issue.”
Despite the concerns, councillors approved a copy of the ODP to be sent to the Western Australian Planning Commission for final approval.
In related council news, the proposed Lakelands Town Centre development has gained further momentum at Tuesday night’s council meeting with support given to final approval of the plan.
Councillor Caroline Knight said she supported the amended version of the Lakelands development and said she was pleased to see a proposed high school site increased from five hectares to 6.8ha.
While councillor Fred Riebling did raise concerns about traffic access to the site from Mandurah Road, he did ultimately support the proposal.
In the pipeline since 2007, the development would see a mixed use town centre and a ‘main street’ with a high level of pedestrian amenity.
According to the report entered at council, the development would create full-time jobs and “positively contribute” to the self-sufficiency of Lakelands and Meadow Springs.
